Politics of Love
by Miss Natasha Scott
Summary: The politics, the leading of a nation, the absolute drama of an uprising and the hope that there will not be another war neither civil or over nations. Zuko is the Fire Lord and consequently under a lot of stress, Katara is a young woman expected to marry the Fire Lord and is consequently under a lot of stress. Can there be love amongst the arranged marriage and chaos going on.


The icy wind blew as Katara leaned over the edge of the large ship's railing to view the pulsing waves as they knocked stubbornly against the side of the boat. The air playing with wisps of her long brown hair that had escaped from her ponytail. Breathing in a large sigh Katara thought about the journey she was undertaking and the destination they were sure to arrive at any day now.

The arrangement had been made years ago and she had practically no say in the matter, they were on their way to the Fire Nation for she, Katara, and daughter of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe was arranged to be married to Fire Lord Zuko, the ruler of the Fire Nation. Katara felt her fists tighten; she knew what was expected of her, this was a noble mission, a role assigned that only she could fulfil, a arrangement to ensure peace and a strong lasting bond with the oh so powerful country. _But why am I so scared?_

"You won't find answers to life's questions down there Katara." Said girl looked up to see her brother coming to stand beside her. He looked taller on the boat, more in charge and like the leader she knew him to be. He was the future chief but she couldn't help but always see him as her bumbling older brother whose only main objection in life half the time seemed to be to eat as much as possible. But standing there in his good clothes, sword strapped to his hip and warrior tattoo peeking out from under his tunic he looked every bit the fearsome warrior.

"Neither will a woman's breasts, doesn't stop you from staring at them though." Katara laughed as she saw Sokka's face go completely red and his whole body jolt backwards in surprise. He started to stutter indignantly that that was preposterous and how she could even say such a thing was utterly ridiculous.

"I'm kidding." Katara chuckled before sighing and leaning back against the railing the same sad sort of look on her face returning from moments before. Sokka pulled himself back together before stepping to stand in front of his sister. She was so young, well 17 was seen to be well over marrying age but, to Sokka she would always be just his feisty little water bending sister.

"You really don't want to do this do you?" Katara looked up at the concerned look in his face and tried to muster a smile.

"Doesn't matter whether or not I do Sokka, you are well aware that none of us have a choice. This was decided years ago, back when Iroh was Fire Lord." Sokka looked about to argue. "Besides for a girl who has lived in the South Pole my whole life I surprisingly hate the cold." Katara looked up at her brother trying to reassure him that she would be okay and that this was all for the better. The warrior chuckled at his sister's attempt to try to make light of the pending situation.

"Well you certainly won't be cold in the Fire Nation; I hear it gets so hot you can fry possum chicken eggs on the marble steps at the front of the palace." Katara laughed as Sokka's eyes went huge and his mouth started to water just thinking of fried eggs.

"I have no idea where you heard that from, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." None the less a stupid picture of a faceless Fire Lord kneeling on the front steps of a big palace frying eggs next to a drooling Sokka came unbidden to her mind. Katara couldn't help but burst out into a fit of laughter.

Sokka snapped out of his own daydream to stare fondly at his laughing sister. The warrior could only hope that she would never lose that smile while being forced to live in to the Fire Nation and plunged into the politics of the royal family.

Their father had struck the deal with the at the time Fire Lord Iroh, it was seen to be a way encase the Fire Nation had any notions of attacking their people again as they had in past during the thousand year war, that if the Chief's most prized daughter were to marry the future Fire Lord then strong ties could be made and the threat of attack to be squashed completely. The nation would never dare attack the homeland of their Fire Lady. The Fire Lord had been most delighted with the match for his nephew and had agreed immediately claiming better trading between their lands and a pact of military alliance.

That had been five years ago, and now Katara had grown into a woman of marrying age and Zuko had been crowned Fire Lord of his land. Sokka did not particularly like the idea of his sister marrying this man who he hadn't met, the rumours he had heard claimed Zuko to be a powerful and scary figure that most were afraid of. But he could not speak out against a deal that had been made five years ago and that had so far already brought such benefits to his people already just through the promise of his sister's hand. Trading between the two nations had increased and a firm military bond was already forming.

Katara was just coming down from her laughing fit, what a strange picture that had brought into her head. Suddenly they heard one of the men shout that they were approaching land. Both her and Sokka turned and rushed to the front of the boat. If she squinted Katara could make out the faint line of land ahead that could only mean they were almost at the capital.

Part of her was excited, she had never been outside her tribe before and to be discovering a completely new land was absolutely thrilling. The other part of her felt nervous, she had heard the rumours of Fire Lord Zuko, he was told to be fierce and scary but was seen to be a fair and great leader by his people.

He had taken over from his uncle after he retired and it was whispered that Lord Iroh's son had been murdered, and Iroh's brother and Zuko's father had tried to take the throne with plans to launch another attack on the other nations. Zuko had over thrown his father and stopped the possible tragedy. Locking up his father and apparently psychotic sister he took the throne after his uncle. Of course these were just rumours that she had heard from Fire Nation traders she had met, but nonetheless the idea of such a powerful and scary family made her nervous of her life she was to have here, and of her husband to be. Shaking her head as if to rid herself of such thoughts and setting on a determined face she stood tall. She would try her best to go through with this deal that would help her tribe, and to take on the responsibility of becoming Fire Lady as scary as it was. She could do this!

Meanwhile in the palace, the scary ruler of his people and strong and mighty Fire Lord was busy running down a hall in search of his uncle. This was not the time for the older man to go missing; he had a million things to do. He had a meeting with his advisers he had to be at in 10 minutes and a important dignitary from the Earth Kingdom he had to meet after that and not to mention the water tribe men along with his future bride were expected to be docking within the hour. Zuko scoweled and cursed the tea loving former fire lord as he raced round the corner.

"His majesty is most busy at the moment, whatever it is can't be that important that it can't wait for tomorrow," came the voice of his uncle from around the next corner. Zuko immediately slowed down his pace, straightened his posture and placing a calm terrifying expression on his face; looking every bit the fearsome leader he was supposed to be instead of a flushed, rushing teenager running through the halls.

"No this is most urgent, I must see the Fire Lord, he-" the man walking with his uncle stopped upon seeing the man he was speaking of coming towards him. He hastily bowed low before straightening and hurriedly trying to form a sentence. "Your Majesty, I must speak with you promptly and in private, it is of the utmost importance." Zuko looked at the obviously frazzled looking man.

"What is the nature of the subject you wish to speak to me about?" Zuko made his voice rain out loudly and with as much authority as he could. Inside all he wanted to do was dismiss the man and talk quickly with his uncle. He hardly had the time to discuss trivial things with a man who most probably just wanted to discuss trade routes. The man turned his head around looking left and right to make sure no one was listening in before stepping forward.

"It is news to do with the rebels," he said quietly. Zuko's eyes widened before he got hold of himself and plastered back on the cold uncaring facial expression he was supposed to have.

"I am quite busy at the moment, meet me in my office tonight and we may discuss what news you may have, you are dismissed." Seeing that he wasn't going to get a better deal the man bowed and scurried off.

"I can't imagine it could be good news," mused Iroh as he stroked his beard. "It seems even with your father and sister locked away they are still causing trouble." Zuko looked over at his uncle letting his facade down slightly in front of him as he felt his shoulders slump slightly forward and his face go from calm to troubled.

"Whatever news has come it will have to wait. I have been looking everywhere for you Uncle, I am due in the meeting room in a few minutes. I want you to go down to the docks to meet Katara and the Southern Water Tribe's men. I will be otherwise occupied." Zuko looked about ready to leave with that taken care of before his uncle's words interrupted him.

"You can't be serious Zuko. This is your future wife we are talking about here, you must go down to meet her and her family. She has travelled half way across the world to place she has never been, to marry a man she has never met. The least you can do is go meet her nephew." Iroh said as he stood in front of the tired looking Fire Lord.

"Look I can't get out of this meeting, plus I have a Earth Kingdom dignitary who has been grumbling to my secretary for weeks now about meeting to talk to me. I had no wish to get married Uncle-" Zuko's voice began to get slightly irritated as he was reminded of the fact he was being forced to marry. "-It was you who arranged the match years ago and all to strengthen ties with the Water Tribes. I had and still don't have any wish to marry, and especially someone I don't even know. So forgive me but I simply don't have time, you will have to make extra efforts to meet with the Chief's daughter and make her feel welcome. I am only going through with this because it means so much to you and because the council has been pestering me about marriage for so long, but my kingdom still comes first."

Without another word Zuko straightened himself and with a prominent scowl on his face he walked off towards the meeting room. Iroh looked after his angry nephew as he stomped away; he knew he was not going to be accepting of the idea of having an arranged marriage. The tea loving man knew though that if Miss Katara was anything like he had heard then she may just be the thing to bring Zuko some relief. The responsibilities of being Fire Lord, especially with everything going on at the moment was too much to be put on the barely 19 year old's shoulders. Iroh chuckled to himself as he began to walk the opposite way down the hall. Hopefully a strong water bending wife was exactly what he needed.

The boat was finally at dock and Katara felt her nerves rising, she had been pushed into a long blue robe made of silk and fine threads. She was worried when she saw the length of it that she would be way too hot, but was pleasantly surprised to find the material light and airy. The dress had a large strap that went over only one shoulder leaving the other bare, then a long thin lighter blue piece of cloth like a scarf was wrapped around the back of her waist and was to be held up in the crooks of her elbows. When she had looked in the mirror on the ship she did look every bit a Water Tribe princess. With her hair up in a neat bun with slightly curled tendrils coming out the sides to frame her face. Katara felt her chin lift, maybe she could do this, maybe she could very well be a queen. That had been her thinking before, but now that she was actually walking off the plank towards the large group of finely dressed people she felt her confidence plummet.

The group dressed in fine red garments and flanked by fierce looking guards stood under a great golden coloured shade cloth held high by poles by four servants. As Katara was led towards them on the arm of her father she tried to spy the oh so powerful Fire Lord but was disappointed and yet relieved at the same time not to see the tell tale flame crown that would identify one of them as Zuko. Instead a shorter pudgier man stepped forward to greet them, he had a well trimmed white beard placed on a weathered but kind looking face. He bowed before them and showed Katara a welcoming smile, Katara could tell from his well lined face that he had lived through snd experienced many things as well as seen and felt a lot of pain as well as hope, his eyes seemed to hold untold wisdom. Katara smiled back, he seemed sincerely happy to see them and he smelt oh so much like tea. Katara tried to stifle a giggle before in turn bowing with her own smile.

"Welcome to the Fire Nation, I am glad to see you got here safely." Katara's father also bowed his head and smiled at the older looking man.

"Thank you very much for meeting us Lord Iroh, it certainly has been a while." Katara's eyes widened, this was Iroh, the Iroh? The same former Fire Lord and ruler of the very Fire Nation they were in, and uncle of Zuko the current Fire Lord and her future husband? Katara stared at the kind older man currently exchanging pleasantries with her father.

Katara felt a little spark of hope, maybe this family wasn't so bad and by extent Zuko wasn't so bad. Then she felt her mood sour as she remembered that Zuko hadn't actually bothered to come to greet her himself, her fists tightened at her side. Where did he come off, just sending someone to just fetch her as if she were some pet? Katara may be nervous to meet the so called scary leader but right now her annoyance was outweighing it. As if reading her mind Iroh came up to speak softly with her while some other finely dressed individual began to converse with her father about their accommodations as they were being led towards the strange curtain covered boxes in the street.

"I would like to apologise to you miss Katara for my nephew's absence, I'm afraid there has been much going on in the Fire Nation lately, most of which has put poor Zuko under a lot of pressure and stress. He is currently doing business that I am afraid just couldn't wait, he is so busy that well..." Iroh seemed to think his words through carefully. "I hope that with someone else that he can learn to trust and enjoy the company of, he may find some relief …..I hope that could be you Miss Katara"

Katara took in what Iroh had said, she could feel herself feeling a little sorry for the man that she was to marry. His job sounded hard and she had a feeling that when Iroh mentioned things going on in the Fire Nation, it wasn't of the good kind. Still she wasn't about to let her annoyance go completely, she had come a long way and in her opinion was sacrificing much to be here. She did though feel her fists unclench and some of her tension melt from her shoulders.

"I understand Lord Iroh, I am sure his majesty is very busy." Katara found herself in front of one of the curtained boxes. "Lord Iroh, what are these?" Iroh chucked heartily before opening the flap of the material for her to see inside.

"This Miss Katara is a palanquin."


End file.
